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A small bowl of Southwestern Pasta Salad on a bright yellow napkin.

Southwest Pasta Salad

Treat yourself to this easy Southwest Pasta Salad ... it's bursting with delicious Tex Mex flavors!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 or more people
Calories: 402kcal
Author: Ginnie

Ingredients

For Pasta Salad:

  • 1 pound (454 grams) short pasta (such as fusilli or rotini)
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
  • 1 large bell pepper, chopped
  • ½ small red onion, chopped (about ½ cup) and rinsed with cold water
  • 1 (15-ounce / 425 grams) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ¾ cup corn kernels (defrosted, if frozen)
  • ½ cup halved black olives
  • ½ cup crumbled queso fresco

For Pesto:

  • ½ cup slivered almonds
  • ½ to 1 whole serrano pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cilantro (lightly packed)
  • 1 cup flat leaf parsley, (lightly packed)
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Cook Pasta:

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta, then cook until tender.
  • Drain pasta in a colander, then rinse with cold water. Drain well.

Prepare Pesto:

  • While pasta is cooking, place almonds in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and toasted (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently.
  • Let almonds cool slightly, then transfer to a food processor. Add serrano pepper and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped.
  • Add cilantro, parsley, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Process pesto until smooth. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

Assemble Salad:

  • Transfer cold pasta to a large bowl. Add pesto and gently toss to coat.
  • Add tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, black beans, corn, olives, and queso fresco. Mix well, then adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt, if necessary.
  • Serve at room temperature or chill until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Notes

Save time while preparing this recipe by starting the pasta first. While that's cooking, working on the pesto, then prep the veggies. That way, everything's ready to mix together at about the same time.
 This recipe will serve 8 or more people as a side dish, or about 6 as a main cource.
Skip the cheese to make this pasta salad vegan.
Check out all the info before this recipe card for more tips, variations, and related recipes!

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcal
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